Multi-Channel Dimmer

ABSTRACT

Various embodiments include a dimmer for controlling the power consumption of a connectable load comprising: two dimmer channels with associated channel control facilities; a main control facility producing control commands for the dimmer channels; a communications connection transmitting the control commands from the main control facility to the channel control facility of a dimmer channel; and a channel communications connection transmitting information from the first dimmer channel to the second dimmer channel. The first dimmer channel includes a measuring dimmer channel with a measuring facility configured for producing information regarding the behavior of the electrical voltage at a site in the measuring dimmer channel. The channel communications connection transmits information regarding the behavior of the electrical voltage at the site in the measuring dimmer channel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Stage Application of InternationalApplication No. PCT/EP2018/067906 filed Aug. 8, 2018, which designatesthe United States of America, and claims priority to DE Application No.10 2017 213 888.2 filed Aug. 9, 2017, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to electrical power. Various embodimentsmay include dimmers for controlling the electrical power consumption ofan electrical load, e.g. for an integrated or connectable lightingfacility.

BACKGROUND

Dimmers are used for the purpose of varying electrical power. Such apower variation may be performed by way of leading edge phase control orby way of trailing edge phase control. In the case of leading edge phasecontrol, the current is connected in a delayed manner after the zerocrossing of the alternating current and flows until the next currentzero crossing. The leading edge phase control is preferred in the caseof an inductive load behavior. In the case of trailing edge phasecontrol, conversely the current is immediately connected after the zerocrossing and is disconnected again prior to the next zero crossing. Thistrailing edge phase control is preferred in the case of a capacitiveload behavior. In order to produce the control commands that arerequired for this purpose at the switching components of the dimmer, thedimmer comprises a main control facility.

Multi-channel dimmers comprise multiple individual dimmers that eachcontrol a part of the electrical load. These so-called dimmer channelsmay be connected on the output side in parallel, sequentially or amixture thereof so as to achieve a power increase. Multiple physicalchannels are interconnected and a more powerful logic channel isproduced. In this case, the dimmer channels may be in a device orhowever may be in multiple devices.

However, it is important, even owing to this interconnection, that theoutputs of the dimmer channels are synchronized to a great extent. If,by way of example, two channels have been connected in parallel and thesecond channel switches too late (in the case of leading edge phasecontrol) or too early (in the case of trailing edge phase control), thefirst channel overloads more than if the two synchronously switchincorrectly. This may lead to an excess temperature rise or a failure ofthe first dimmer channel or even to the dimmer switching off.

In known multi-channel dimmers, each dimmer channel comprises adedicated channel control facility, e.g. a simple processor, and also ameasuring facility for measuring the electrical voltage in the channel,which may also be formed in part even by this processor. Owing to themeasuring facility, the channel control facility receives theinformation regarding the periodic behavior of the electrical voltage inthe channel, said information being necessary for the identification ofthe leading edge or trailing edge. The control commands that areproduced by the main control facility are transmitted via eachcommunications connection to the channel control facilities of thedimmer channels and at said channel control facilities are implementedin the channel in accordance with the information regarding the periodicbehavior of the electrical voltage in the channel.

In particular, the complexity of the measuring facilities leads to highdevelopment costs and production costs. Inaccuracies in theidentification of the zero crossing may also occur as a result ofcomponent tolerances or as a result of the components aging. The timedifferences that result therefrom then lead to a non-synchronizedswitching procedure of the dimmer channels and to the problems describedabove. Even though it is possible to exchange the device or torecalibrate the components of said device, it is however not possible todo so without incurring costs and possible consequential damage owing todisruptions in operation.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure includes teachings addressing thesedisadvantages. For example, in some embodiments of the teachings herein,the main control facility also distributes synchronizing signals to thechannel control facilities. These synchronizing signals are based on theinformation from the measuring facility in an individual dimmer channel,therefore named here as the measuring dimmer channel. It has now beenshown however that there is an alternative way with the potential foroptimization.

Some embodiments include a dimmer for controlling the power consumptionof a connectable load, having at least: two dimmer channels (K1, K2, Kx)each having a channel control facility (S1, S2, Sx), of which dimmerchannels (K1, K2, Kx) at least one measuring dimmer channel (K1)comprises a measuring facility (M1) that is at least suitable forproducing information regarding the behavior of the electrical voltageat a site in the measuring dimmer channel, a main control facility (HS)that is at least suitable for producing control commands for the dimmerchannels, and a communications connection (V) that is at least suitablefor transmitting such control commands from the main control facility(H) to the channel control facility (S1) of a dimmer channel (K1),characterized in that the dimmer (D) comprises at least one channelcommunications connection (V12, V23, V(x−1)x) that is at least suitablefor transmitting information from a first dimmer channel (K1, K2) to asecond dimmer channel (K2, Kx) and that the channel communicationsconnection (V12, V23, V(x−1)x) is at least suitable for transmittinginformation regarding the behavior of the electrical voltage at the sitein the measuring dimmer channel (K1).

In some embodiments, the channel communications connection (V12, V23,V(x−1)x) is at least suitable for transmitting this information to thechannel control facility (S2, Sx) of the second dimmer channel (K2, Kx).

In some embodiments, this information includes a specification regardingthe time of at least one zero crossing of the voltage at the site in themeasuring dimmer channel (K1).

In some embodiments, the channel control facility (S2, Sx) of the seconddimmer channel (K2, Kx) owing to stored data is suitable, with the aidof this information, for producing information regarding the behavior ofthe electrical voltage at a site in the second dimmer channel (K2, Kx).

In some embodiments, the data includes a time value, which is the sameas an estimation of the time for processing and transmitting theinformation from the measuring dimmer channel (K1) to the controlfacility of the second dimmer channel (K2, Kx).

In some embodiments, the information regarding the behavior of theelectrical voltage at the site in the second dimmer channel (K2, Kx)includes a specification regarding the time of at least one zerocrossing of the voltage.

In some embodiments, the channel communications connection (V12, V23,V(x−1)x) is at least also suitable for transmitting control commandsfrom the main control facility (H) from the channel control facility(S1, S2) of the first dimmer channel (K1, K2) to the channel controlfacility (S2, Sx) of the second dimmer channel (K2, Kx).

In some embodiments, the channel communications connection (V1, V2,V(x−1)x) comprises an element for galvanically separating the firstdimmer channel (K1, K2) from the second dimmer channel (K2, Kx).

In some embodiments, the main control facility (H) is a channel controlfacility.

In some embodiments, the first dimmer channel is different to themeasuring dimmer channel (K1).

In some embodiments, at least two channel communications connections areeach suitable for transmitting information regarding the behavior of theelectrical voltage in the measuring dimmer channel (K1) from themeasuring dimmer channel (K1) to at least two other dimmer channels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows the division of functions of a first multichannel dimmerincorporating teachings of the present disclosure on the supply networkand a load;

FIG. 2 shows the division of functions of a second multichannel dimmerincorporating teachings of the present disclosure on the supply networkand a load; and

FIG. 3 shows with some simplified circuits of two dimmer channels andthe channel communications connection between said dimmer channels andchannel communications connection of the second multichannel dimmerincorporating teachings of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In some embodiments, a dimmer incorporating teachings of the presentdisclosure comprises at least two dimmer channels each having a channelcontrol facility. At least one of the dimmer channels is a measuringdimmer channel because said dimmer channel comprises a measuringfacility for measuring the electrical voltage in the channel. Theinformation from said measuring facility regarding the behavior of theelectrical voltage in the measuring dimmer channel is transmitted to thechannel control facility of the measuring dimmer channel.

In some embodiments, the dimmer further comprises a main controlfacility, which may at least produce control commands for the dimmerchannels, and also a main communications connection that is at leastsuitable for transmitting such control commands from the main controlfacility to the channel control facility of a dimmer channel.

In some embodiments, the dimmer further comprises at least one channelcommunications connection from a first dimmer channel to a second dimmerchannel, e.g. having an element for galvanically separating the firstdimmer channel from the second dimmer channel, for example having anoptical coupler or alternatively having a transformer circuit. Thischannel communications connection may transmit information, and namelyat least regarding the behavior, e.g. the periodic behavior, of theelectrical voltage in the measuring dimmer channel from the measuringfacility or however from the channel control facility of a first dimmerchannel to a second dimmer channel, e.g. to the channel control facilityof the second dimmer channel. In some embodiments, the channelcommunications connection is also suitable for transmitting informationin the opposite direction.

Owing to the fact that a communications connection between each channelcontrol facility of the dimmer channels and a main control facility ofthe dimmer is already required, e.g. including galvanic separation, itis possible with little additional outlay to receive mutual channelcommunications connections between the channel control facilities whichmay even replace a part of the communications connections between thechannel control facilities and the main control facility of the dimmer.

The information regarding the periodic behavior of the electricalvoltage in a measuring dimmer channel may be a specification regardingthe time of the transmission of the information by way of the channelcontrol facility of the first dimmer channel or preferably aspecification regarding the time of at least one zero crossing of thevoltage in the measuring dimmer channel. On the basis of stored data, itis possible with the aid of the information regarding the periodicbehavior of the electrical voltage in the measuring dimmer channel forthe channel control facility of the second dimmer channel to produceinformation regarding the periodic behavior of the electrical voltage insaid second dimmer channel and it is possible using said informationregarding the periodic behavior of the electrical voltage in said seconddimmer channel to accurately and synchronously transmit the electricalvoltage in the channel to the remaining dimmer channels.

This stored data may include a time value that is the same as anestimation of the time for the processing and the transmission of theinformation from the measuring dimmer channel to the control facility ofthe second dimmer channel. The time value is a constant for each dimmerchannel and could contain values regarding the time for producing theinformation by way of the measuring facility, the transmission of saidvalues by way of the channel communications connection or by way of thechannel communications connections from the measuring dimmer channel tothe second dimmer channel and the processing of said values in thedimmer channels. It is possible to determine said time value for eachdimmer channel, namely from a calibration having measurements at thedimmer or at other dimmers of the same series or in a simulation bymeans of a computer. In some embodiments, the data is permanently storedin the channel control facilities.

Because the signal is transmitted without complex processing over ashort distance, the information regarding the periodic behavior of theelectrical voltage in the measuring dimmer channel arrives with a smalldelay but in particular in the case of repetition and despite aging ofthe components with an approximately identical delay in the case of thechannel control facility of the second dimmer channel. It is worthy ofnote that this even applies for the entire transmission delay if thesignal is transmitted from the original channel control facility of themeasuring dimmer channel via some channel control facilities and via thechannel communications connections. In some embodiments, the firstdimmer channel to a channel communications connection may be a channelother than the measuring dimmer channel.

In some embodiments, the channel communications connection may also atleast transmit control commands from the main control facility from thechannel control facility of the first dimmer channel to the channelcontrol facility of the second dimmer channel. Consequently, in the samemanner the instructions for the switching behavior are also distributedto multiple dimmer channels, which omits direct communicationsconnections to the main control facility of the dimmer. This may alsotake place for cost reasons in a unidirectional manner although abidirectional communication brings advantages.

In some embodiments, there is at least one channel communicationsconnection between the channel control facility of the measuring dimmerchannel and each channel control facility of at least two dimmerchannels. Consequently, the measuring dimmer channel has a directchannel communications connection to multiple control facilities ofother dimmer channels. This could be embodied likewise as manyindividual channel communications connections, or however could also beembodied as one single channel communications connection for a buscommunication or similar in accordance with which telegrams are receivedowing to an individual address or a group address at the destination.

In some embodiments, even the main control facility is a channel controlfacility.

FIG. 1 illustrates the division of functions of a multichannel dimmer Don the supply network N, Ll. The multichannel dimmer D comprisesmultiple dimmer channels K1, K2, Kx that are galvanically separated fromone another, each having a channel control facility S1, S2, Sx. Thedimmer channels are connected in parallel on the output side viaconnecting terminals A1, A2, Ax to the load L so that each may supply apart of the current to said connecting terminals.

The dimmer D starts owing to an external command B. A main controlfacility H produces control commands, which travel via a communicationsnetwork V to the channel control facility S1 of the dimmer channel K1.

The dimmer channel K1 includes a measuring facility M1 that is suitablefor producing information regarding the behavior of the electricalvoltage at a site in the channel and namely in particular informationregarding the zero crossing of the voltage. The dimmer channel K1 istherefore also called a measuring dimmer channel. During operation, acommunications connection transmits such information from the measuringfacility M1 to the channel control facility S1.

Starting from the measuring dimmer channel K1, a channel communicationsconnection V12, V23, V(x−1)x respectively leads from one dimmer channelto the next dimmer channel. In some embodiments, these channelcommunications connections V12, V23, V(x−1)x are suitable fortransmitting information regarding the behavior of the electricalvoltage in the measuring dimmer channel K1 to the channel controlfacility S2, Sx of the next dimmer channel K2, Kx and namely here fromthe channel control facility S1, S2 of the one dimmer channel K1, K2 tothe channel control facility S2, Sx of the other dimmer channel K2, Kx.Furthermore, these channel communications connections V12, V23, V(x−1)xmay also relay the control commands of the main control facility H.

The communications connections V, V12, V23, V(x−1)x between thegalvanically separated main control facility H and the dimmer channelsK1, K2, Kx on both sides each include an optical coupler.

In the variant in FIG. 2, the channel communications connections V12,V23, V(x−1)x between the dimmer channels K1, K2, Kx connect themeasuring facility M to the respective channel control facilities S1,S2, Sx for a particularly prompt transmission. The channelcommunications connections V12, V23, V(x−1)x are embodied in aunidirectional manner, which is why separate communications connectionsV provide the control commands of the main control facility H to eachdimmer channel K1, K2, Kx and return possible feedback.

FIG. 3 illustrates measuring dimmer channel K1, dimmer channel K2 andtheir channel communications connection V12 of a multichannel dimmerincorporating teachings of the present disclosure, wherein the circuitsof the measuring facility M, of the channel communications connectionV12 and of the dimmer channel K2 are illustrated in a simplified manner.An operation amplifier N11 of the measuring facility M1 converts thenetwork voltage from 230 Volt into a signal that is to be betterprocessed. A comparator N12 of the measuring facility M1 analyzes thissignal at zero crossings. The zero crossings are directly relayed to thechannel control facility S1 but also to an optical coupler in thechannel communications connection V12. For the purpose of galvanicseparation, the optical coupler includes an LED and a light-sensitiveresistor, which connects a current via the resistor R in the dimmerchannel K2. The optical coupler consequently transmits the informationregarding the zero crossings with a small delay to the channel controlfacility S2 and to the next channel communications connection.

In some embodiments, the control commands of the main control facility Htravel in a similar manner to that in the variant of FIG. 1 via a singlecommunications connection V to the channel control facility S1 of thedimmer channel K1. However, the channel control facility S1 relays saidcontrol commands via the channel communications connections V12 to thenext dimmer channel K2 as in the variant of FIG. 2. For this purpose,however, such channel communications connections V12, V23, V(x−1)x thatare illustrated in FIG. 3 may be supplemented by way of example with aswitch and a resistor upstream of the LED in series with respect toground. The switch for example a transistor is switched by way of anoutput of the respective channel control facility Sx between aconductive and non-conductive connection. When the respective comparatorNx2 energizes the LED, the switch may consequently apply small voltagesteps onto the signal, which lead to small intensity steps in the lightof the LED. The corresponding resistance steps in the light-sensitiveresistor on the resistor side may be perceived by a simple voltmeter.However, said resistance steps on the receiver side do not trigger azero crossing detection. These steps consequently code the controlcommands of the main control facility H and are relayed by means of thevoltmeter to the respective channel facility Sx+1.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dimmer for controlling the power consumption ofa connectable load, the dimmer comprising: a first dimmer channel and asecond dimmer channel each having an associated channel controlfacility; wherein the first dimmer channel includes a measuring dimmerchannel with a measuring facility configured for producing informationregarding the behavior of the electrical voltage at a site in themeasuring dimmer channel; a main control facility producing controlcommands for the first dimmer channel and the second dimmer channel; acommunications connection transmitting the control commands from themain control facility to the channel control facility of a dimmerchannel; and a channel communications connection transmittinginformation from the first dimmer channel to the second dimmer channel;wherein the channel communications connection transmits informationregarding the behavior of the electrical voltage at the site in themeasuring dimmer channel.
 2. The dimmer as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe channel communications connection transmits information to thechannel control facility of the second dimmer channel.
 3. The dimmer asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the information includes a specificationregarding the time of a zero crossing of the voltage at the site in themeasuring dimmer channel.
 4. The dimmer as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe channel control facility of the second dimmer channel includesstored data for producing information regarding the behavior of theelectrical voltage at a site in the second dimmer channel.
 5. The dimmeras claimed in claim 4, wherein the data includes a time value estimatinga time for processing and transmitting the information from themeasuring dimmer channel to the control facility of the second dimmerchannel.
 6. The dimmer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the informationregarding the behavior of the electrical voltage at the site in thesecond dimmer channel includes a specification regarding a time of azero crossing of the voltage.
 7. The dimmer as claimed in claim 1,wherein the channel communications connection transmits control commandsfrom the main control facility from the channel control facility of thefirst dimmer channel to the channel control facility of the seconddimmer channel.
 8. The dimmer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channelcommunications connection comprises an element for galvanicallyseparating the first dimmer channel from the second dimmer channel. 9.The dimmer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main control facilitycomprises a channel control facility.
 10. The dimmer as claimed in claim1, wherein the first dimmer channel is not the measuring dimmer channel.11. The dimmer as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two channelcommunications connections each transmit information regarding behaviorof the electrical voltage in the measuring dimmer channel from themeasuring dimmer channel to at least two other dimmer channels.